Spicy Sri Lankan Fried Cashews

Ingredients

• 250ml (1 cup) coconut oil
• 30 curry leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 350g (12 oz) raw cashews
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Steps

1. Heat the oil over a medium high heat in a wok or large pan. When visibly hot, stir in the curry leaves and let them sizzle in the hot oil for about 30 seconds. The curry leaves should look shiny and be a bit crispy.
2. Transfer the curry leaves to a plate with a slotted spoon and then add the garlic slivers to the same oil. Fry for about a minute or until the garlic is just beginning to brown. Transfer the garlic to the plate with the curry leaves.
3. Now add the cashews to the hot oil. Be sure to stir continuously so that the cashews brown evening. In Sri Lanka, the cashews are deep fried so that they fry evenly. You can use less oil with this recipe but watch them carefully.
4. Just before the cashews are finished cooking, stir in the ground turmeric.
5. Transfer the browned cashews to a bowl lined with a few paper towels. Use the paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Then add the fried curry leaves and garlic, followed by the black pepper, chilli powder and salt to taste.
6. Be sure to stir the nuts well so that they are equally coated with the other ingredients. Pour into a serving bowl and serve hot. You can also serve these warm or at room temperature but hot is best.